Access Atlanta > Entertainment > Radio Talk > Archives > 2007 > July > 19
Thursday, July 19, 2007
7/19: Mad Men worth catching
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
AMC’s very first original drama “Mad Men,” about suave, casually sexist ad executives in the early 1960s, is worth checking out tonight at 10 p.m. I wish I had had time to write a more detailed review of it, but it captures a time when women were still in the steno pool and not much more and Jews and blacks were marginalized by the bigwigs on Madison Avenue. It’s a beautifully shot series, capturing the smoky haze and fashion of the time, and based on the first episode, seems to revel in more style than substance.
The lead adman Don Draper (Jon Hamm) has to figure out how to market Lucky Strikes just as people are realizing that cigarettes are bad for you. But it is amusing to watch people smoking everywhere and anywhere - heck, even the gynecologist puffs away as he examines a patient, a new secretary (Elizabeth Moss) who figures out quickly that sex is power.
Oh, and on a completely different note, MTV is cancelling MTV’s “Pimp My Ride” hosted by Xhibit after the final eight episodes in favor of “Trick It Out,” another car makeover show starring former “American Idol” semifinalist Becky O’Donohue.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment |
7/19: Turner Emmy nominations
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I had some time this afternoon to scan the entire list of Emmy nominations and Turner Broadcasting didn’t do too badly.
TNT took home 11 nominations, Cartoon Network (including Adult Swim) grabbed three and Turner Classic Movies, one. (TBS was shut out.)
In the most major category, Kyra Sedgwick, who has already won a Golden Globe for her portrayal of transplanted Atlanta detective Brenda Johnson on TNT’s “The Closer,” nabbed her first Emmy nomination for best actress in a drama series.
“Robot Chicken,” the manic sketch comedy show featuring action figures on Adult Swim, is vying for best animated program airing an hour or less, while “Camp Lazlo” and “Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends,” both on Cartoon Network, are nominated for best animated program airing an hour or more.
TNT’s “The Ron Clark Story” received nominations for both best made-for-TV movie and outstanding lead actor in a miniseries or movie, courtesy of Matthew Perry, who portrayed Clark, an educator building the private, non-profit Ron Clark Academy in south Atlanta.
On a sidenote, in the best musical number category, the SNL short/Internet sensation “[Gift] in a box” with Justin Timberlake and Andy Samburg was nominated. And you know what the gift is, right?
The very funny musical cuts from the “Scrubs” musical episode, “Guy Love” and”Everything Comes Down to Poo” also generating noms.
And sniffing around the Web, some other Emmy omissions critics are opining about include Lauren Graham (again) for “The Gilmore Girls,” Michael Hall in “Dexter,” Kyle Chandler for “Friday Night Lights,” Michael Chiklis from “The Shield,” Terry Crews for “Everybody Hates Chris,” HBO’s “Deadwood” and “Rome.”
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment |
7/19: Emmys embrace The Sopranos
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Emmys in September will likely be a farewell fest for HBO’s seminal series “The Sopranos.” The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences gave the departed drama 15 nominations this morning. Nobody is shocked by that.
Edie Falco, James Gandolfini, Aida Turturro and Loraine Bracco all were nominated in their respective categories.
In the best drama category, “The Sopranos” joins expected nominees “House,” “Grey’s Anatomy” and newcomer “Heroes.” A mild surprise: ABC’s “Boston Legal,” which beat out previous nominees such as “Desperate Housewives” and “Lost,” which bounced back from a shaky second season. James Spader is a favorite of the academy, though, having won best dramatic actor in 2005. Past winner “24” had a subpar season so its absence isn’t going to cause any tears. “The Sopranos” will win.
NBC’s “Friday Night Lights,” a critics favorite but ratings disappointment, could have used any boost, even a modest one like an Emmy nomination, but it came up short. Other possibilities that could have made the grade over “Boston Legal” included HBO’s “The Wire,” Showtime’s “Dexter,” SciFi’s “Battlestar Galactica” and FX’s “The Shield.”
Over in the comedy category, freshman NBC series “30 Rock” did sneak into the fold despite relatively poor ratings while bigger freshman success “Ugly Betty” on ABC also made the cut. The others that got in included last year’s winner “The Office,” followed by HBO’s “Entourage” and CBS’s “Two and a Half Men.” Given the general paucity of great comedies in general, it’s hard to say if the Academy really left anything out here. “Scrubs” has seen better days and “My Name is Earl” wasn’t quite as endearing the second time around. “Ugly Betty” could win this category but “The Office” in its third season deserves the victory.
Spader, as noted, was given another nomination for best actor. That man can chew scenery! Despite the problems with “24,” Kiefer Sutherland was nominated again as well, as was Hugh Laurie for “House” and Denis Leary for “Rescue Me.” But naturally, Gandolfini is the instant favorite to win it all. All are repeat nominees. Someone had leaked a “short list” on the Web a couple weeks ago that had also included Eddie Izzard of “The Riches,” who I would have voted for.
Ricky Gervais (“Extras”) did nab his first Emmy nom as best actor in a comedy series, joining another newbie (in a sense) Alec Baldwin, for his hilarious, Golden Globe-winning portrayal of Jack Donaghy on “30 Rock.” The other three were usual suspects: former winner Tony Shalhoub for “Monk,” Charlie Sheen for “Two and a Half Men” and Steve Carrell for “The Office.” Baldwin is the conventional favorite.
Six nominees managed to land in the best female in a drama series, including Golden Globe winner Kyra Sedgwick (“The Closer”), 2006 winner Mariska Hargitay on “Law & Order: SVU,” 2005 winner Patricia Arquette for “Medium” and 2003 winner Edie Falco (“The Sopranos.”) Favorite actress Sally Field (“Brothers and Sisters”) joined the fray and she deserves it. Another actress who made a big name for herself in motion pictures Minnie Driver is the other nominee for “The Riches.” I hated her performance at first but she did improve as the season went along. Sedgwick or Field will probably vie for the victory in this category.
On the comedy actress side, favorite America Ferrara from “Ugly Betty” naturally got a nom and will likely win, as she did at the Golden Globes. Tina Fey in “30 Rock” got a nom, too, though she didn’t capture her comic timing until later in the season. 2005 winner Felicity Huffman (“Desperate Housewives”) and 2006 winner Julia Louis-Dreyfus (“The New Adventures of Old Christine”) also made the cut. Mary-Louise Parker grabbed her first nomination in this category for “Weeds,” a Showtime comedy that’s starting season three next month. There weren’t a lot of repeats from 2006 because the four actresses from last year besides Louis-Dreyfus were on shows that are no longer airing fresh episodes.
Over in the female supporting roles, “The Sopranos” (Bracco, Turturro) and “Grey’s Anatomy” (Katharine Heigl, Chandra Wilson, Sandra Oh) hogged the drama series category, with Rachel Griffiths of “Brothers and Sisters” the only other nominee. Two “Two and a Half Men” ladies (Conchata Ferrell, Holland Taylor) joined repeat nominees Jaime Pressly (“My Name is Earl”) and Elizabeth Perkins (“Weeds”), first-time and deserving nominee Jenna Fischer (“The Office”) and equally deserving Vanessa Williams (“Ugly Betty.”) on the comedy side. I’m rooting for Fischer though Pressly and Williams could take it home. It’s hard to say who could win the supporting female role though it could go to Turturro or Bracco.
For the men, 2006 winner Jeremy Piven (“Entourage”) and repeat nominee Jon Cryer (“Two and a Half Men”) welcome three newcomers: Piven’s mate Kevin Dillon (“Entourage”) and Rainn Wilson (“The Office.’) and Neil Patrick Harris (“How I Met Your Mother”). And on the drama side, 2005 winner William Shatner (“Boston Legal”) and repeat nominee Terry Quinn (“Lost”) also bring up three quality newbies to the game: Masi Oka (‘Heroes”), T.R. Knight (“Grey’s Anatomy”) and Michael Emerson (“Lost”). I’d say Oka and Emerson both have a solid chance of overcoming the Academy’s love for Shatner.
For the full list of nominees, go to www.emmys.org
[an error occurred while processing this directive]
